Ramcat, I'm over 50, so I don't have many heroes left. Joe Paterno was one of them until yesterday.
I took the time to read the Grand Jury Presentment.
First, there is one thing that is missing from the Presentment. After you notice that it's missing, you get this empty feeling in your gut. The Presentment follows the four men - McQuery, Paterno, Curley, and Schultz. It specifically goes over what Party A tells Party B, and what Party B tells Party C, and so forth. If Party B disagrees with Party A about what was told, then the Presentment sets forth both sides of the story.
Everywhere except once.
The Presentment is very, very careful not to mention what McQuery told the investigators that he told Paterno. All other conversations between all parties - even if they met multiple times - are detailed. McQuery told his father it was anal rape. McQuery told Curley it was anal rape. McQuery told Curley and Schultz it was anal rape. McQuery meets again and says it was anal rape. Schultz says he only heard "wrestling" and Sandusky may have accidentally grabbed a boy's genitals. Curley says he heard x. And so forth.
But the Presentment is careful never to state what McQuery says he told Paterno. It only says what Paterno says he was told.
Maybe Paterno wasn't told. But you have to wonder why McQuery would put himself in the position of incurring the wrath of his former coach, the man he still works for today, the man who WAS Penn State. Why would McQuery tell his father, 'anal rape,' then tell Joe Paterno something different, and then tell everyone after that 'anal rape'?
Second, Paterno didn't witness it first-hand. But neither did Curley or Schultz. So they were supposed to involve the police on hearsay, but Paterno wasn't? The Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner publicly stated yesterday that Paterno failed his moral obligation to report this to the police.
Third, it appears the first charges against Sandusky surfaced in 1994, when he was an active coach, Paterno's good friend and defensive coordinator, and the heir apparent to the PSU coaching job. Then, in 1998, the University Police investigated Sandusky for multiple incidents involving boys and the football showers. In 1998, a Penn State player couldn't drink an extra beer without JoePa knowing about it. You don't think he knew that his defensive coordinator was being investigated for molesting boys in the football showers? And now - does it make sense why Sandusky unexpectedly announced his 'early retirement' in 1999?
But instead of being kicked to the curb, which Joe Paterno could have done, Sandusky was given emeritus status, with an office in the athletic building, a parking spot, keys to the athletic facilities, tuition discounts for his kids, an internet accounts, and perquisites . . . such as bringing boys with him to football practices, and pre-game football banquets, and to tour the football locker room whenever he wanted.
And so, when McQueary reported to JoePa on a Saturday morning that Sandusky was in the shower with a young (ten year-old) boy the night before, you don't think JoePa would be curious? Or remorseful?
And why did JoePa wait to repot the incident until the next day? And when the police were never called, and Sandusky still had his office, and was still showing up at football events, and was being allowed to host SLEEPOVER camps for boys using the football facilities, you don't think Paterno should have asked a few questions?
In 2002, the AD, Curley, was Paterno's superior only on a organizational chart. If Paterno wanted Curley to call the University Police, he would have told him to do it, and Curley would have done it. Paterno could have called the President directly, or told Curley to do it. Paterno could have told the Trustees to meet at his house and told them to yank Sandusky's emeritus status, if that's what it took.
But he turned a blind eye to the fact that the guy that was booted from the program in 1999 for molesting boys in the football showers still had access to the football showers. And was still bringing boys there. And he was letting the guy bring boys to pre-game banquets. And use the football facilities for sleepover camps.
Is any of this beginning to give you a sick feeling about Paterno? Because he was my one and only hero among NCAA football coaches. And now I know that, to avoid bringing shame on Penn State by disclosing that a pedophile was associated with it, he let the pedophile continue to use the Penn State football program as the 'candy' to continue luring young boys into those showers.
Yes. And Paterno has agreed to testify against Schultz and Curley. Too obvious.
“The Presentment is very, very careful not to mention what McQuery told the investigators that he told Paterno”
Yes. Thank you.
That has been bothering me, and you are the first I’ve seen articulate it.
There is something very strange...like - maybe they don’t want to put an 84 yr. old man in jail. Especially if his name is Joe Paterno.
I thank you for your well thought out post.
I've got a sick feeling about the whole thing. I've read almost every article that's been written about this incident but I've yet to read the entire GJ report. I'll force myself to do it after the kid goes to bed.
I'm not sure Sandusky's retirement was forced on him as a result of the 1998 report as you insinuate?
It is my understanding that he (the monster) negotiated the terms of his retirement (access to campus, office, etc.) with the administration, not with Paterno.
I'm still willing to hear what Joe has to say (they're trying to quiet him) before I throw him away.
A great man knows when an idol is no longer worthy. I want to commend you for your comments and logic based discourse on the situation. I know this is a mournful time for you in seeing the debasement of a man whom you believed was great. My compliments again, and well written.